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GO Transit Electrification | Metrolinx

smallspy said:
Metrolinx sent back a perfectly good, almost-new engine to be completely rebuilt into a Frankensteinian one-off. I wouldn't put it past them to send a loco in to be converted to operate on hydrogen - or even overhead wire.

Dan
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On that topic, whatever happened to the pilot hydrogen engine the previous government announced? I can look up the reference later. Is that still going ahead?
 
ssiguy2 said:
Hydrail offers a plethora of political advantages over catenary or battery powered trains. First, it can built much faster due to far less infrastructure required and hence most of the system could be up and running BEFORE the next election. Second, It avoids the huge costs of upfront infrastructure which is of vital importance for a cost-cutting government. Third, it offers the opportunity and political brownie points of helping to kick start a hydrogen economy where Ontario technology is already at the forfront. Fourth, it allows suburbanites to get far superior service while also appeasing the crucial suburban Toronto voters by getting rid of the emissions and noise of diesel trains to say nothing of the catenary visual pollution. This will also help him "claim" he is serious about the environment and is making a decision that will result in zero emissions faster than Liberals.

This is all about politics kids and politically speaking, Hydrail offers benefits that catenary simply cannot compete with. Hydrail checks all the boxes and catenary absolutely none.
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Small point, but are hydrogen-power transit vehicles notably quieter? I haven't followed the discussion and links that closely but I was assuming some form of hydrogen-powered internal combustion as opposed to fuel cell.
 
lenaitch said:
Small point, but are hydrogen-power transit vehicles notably quieter?
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Than diesel? It's certainly a very different sound as heard in the BMWi, much higher in pitch. So while it's sharper it should also be more directional, meaning the standard corridor sound suppression would be more effective.

Straight electric is the quietest option.
 
Since we're on the topic of Hydrogen locos... I remember reading in one of the Hydrail documents that Metrolinx was intending to commission a hydrogen locomotive design (it would only be powerful enough to pull up to six cars). Any idea if that ever happened? I know they commissioned Alstom and Siemens to design a self-propelled, Hydrogen bilevel concept about a year ago.
 
ssiguy2 said:
^^ and storing and transporting diesel isn't an explosive hazard? I think the good people of Lac Megantic would beg to differ.
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You can drop a match into a bucket of diesel fuel, and the match will be extinguished. Diesel is not nearly as volatile as most other petroleum products.

The incident at Lac Mégantic didn't involve diesel fuel nor crude oil. Nor did it explode.

Meanwhile, at Lakehurst, New Jersey.....

To try and somehow equate the safety of diesel fuel and hydrogen is frankly mind-boggling. They aren't even on the same scale.

Dan
 
Lots of cities run hydrogen buses with no explosions recorded.

If the issue is that they are not yet approved for Canada then you can cancel RER. Remember RER is based on the assumption of using regional EMU trains which are NOT legal in Canada. Just because Ottawa and the UPX got a waiver doesn't mean Metrolinx necessarily will. This entire exercise of putting out proposals is basically asking companies which illegal trains you will be not be able to run in Canada.
 
ssiguy2 said:
Lots of cities run hydrogen buses with no explosions recorded.
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Sure, they absolutely do. And what's the fraction of a percent in terms of their quantities versus diesel buses? Or hell, let's make this fun - trolley buses?

Just because someone else does it makes it a valid excuse for us to do it ourselves. There's gotta be an appropriate case for it. And for the hydrogen trains, I'm just not seeing it.

ssiguy2 said:
If the issue is that they are not yet approved for Canada then you can cancel RER. Remember RER is based on the assumption of using regional EMU trains which are NOT legal in Canada.
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That's a hell of an assumption on your part, considering that they haven't even picked out a winning consortium to provide the service, nevermind the vehicle type. For all any of us know, it may Silverliner Vs - which are totally FRA-compliant (and thus can be made to be TC compliant reasonably easily).

Dan
 
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